Game Binge 2020 God of Games

Rin recommended God of War to me and WOW, am I glad he did. I'd been curious about the game since it took 2018 game of the year (beating out Red Dead Redemption 2 is no small feat). It only took me a couple days to get through but what a magical couple of days it was.

So let's get the very few cons of the game out of the way. At first I struggled with the sheer quantity of enemies the game throws at you and the limited mobility of Kratos. In the game's defense though, I'd just burned my way through AC Odyssey and AC Origins. Alexios and Bayek can pretty much scale a vertical glass walls anywhere in their vast open worlds so that Kratos felt boxed in and difficult to get from point A to point B isn't entirely the devs's fault. I also wasn't as taken with Kratos's weapon and armor upgrade system. Again compared to AC Odyssey and it's totally effin' amazing bling, GoW upgrades felt lacking and pointless. By the time you can earn the good stuff there are no more enemies left to fight.

What GoW lacks in character kinetics and upgrades, it more than makes up for in powerful, compelling and downright mind-blowing storytelling. Warning: SPOILERS AHEAD! The poignant and awkward moments between Kratos and his son, Atreus as they endeavor to fulfill Faye's dying wish is so beautifully written and acted it's worth watching the cut scenes without the gameplay like you're watching a movie. Faye was Kratos's wife (or maybe just baby mama not sure if that relationship is ever labeled) and Atreus's mother and, as it becomes painfully clear, the only tie that bound this mountain of a man to a wisp of child. Kratos's Spartan machissmo juxtaposes Atreus's frailty immediately and this conflict propels the story forward. BTW, Kratos has one of those deep, raspy panty-dropping voices which fits perfectly with the size and power of his character.

The action starts pretty quickly with a creepy redneck uncle type stranger turning up at Kratos's home looking for the boy. Or at least that's who we think Mr. Mullett Head is looking for. The fight is epic from the get go, pouring on lots of special moves and Spartan Rage fueled violence. Again, this is great for those of us with pent up anger or those who would rather dispense with all the backstory BS and go straight for some good old-fashioned ass kicking.

The story progresses at a good clip and soon enough, you find yourself at the tallest mountain, ready to lay Faye to rest. But of course there's a fly in the ointment and thank God there is because this game is short enough without ending this quickly.

When it turns out that the tallest mountain in the realms isn't the one that towers over their Nordic home, it seems as though Faye has assigned mission impossible to this duo. The breathtaking adventure that unfolds from there, I won't spoil it any more than I already have. Let's just put it this way, this game earns its title as Game of the Year, and then some.


Caveat: if you are a Barely Average Gamer such as myself, I would recommend choking down whatever pride you might have and setting the game on easy. Your sanity and carpal tunnel syndrome will thank you.